Hey, Been trying to growl for a while. Firstly I did it with my throat and though I had it sussed before I realized that I couldn't sustain it at all. Then I discovered this forum and have been doing it properly ever since. Anyway...

I've seen some differant opinions on this. When breathing with your diaphragm, should your stomach move outward? Some people say yes, others say no. Also, should you use your rib cage at all?

Thanks for any help.

1st Post

Don't feel like re-typing it. So here:

http://metaltabs.com/forum/showthre...highlight=pr0az




Lock the thread maybe?!?

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You have to move your ribcage to breathe, it's what allows the lungs to expand. You want to keep your muscles active, so they're aren't loose, but don't over tighten them, you want to be comfortable

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Oh shut up. That bullshit has nothing to do with his question. And I think you should stop refering EVERYONE to that one post, because you left out tons of options in that list, including but not limited to actual natural breathing. Taking a couple singing lessons does not constitute you as being notorious in aural skills.

How the hell can you use a rib cage to breathe? Rib cages are made of all bone and no joints. They don't move. Wait, now that I think about it, when you are breathing normally you can put your finger to your side and bend one of your ribs in--though I'm not sure why a person would do that.

According to Dr. Frank Powell, a physiologist, breathing is vegetative function. It is so-called because it cannot really be stopped. You can hold your breath but after you pass out you start breathing again. Involuntary. The diaphragm is like a flat plate perpendicular to your back. When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts and the lungs fill up with air. Then exhaling relaxes everything.
In laymen's terms, your diaphragm sinks backwards and downwards into your abdominal area, contracting--so that the front of the diaphragm is pointed upwards--for the inhalation. Exhaling reverses it (the diaphragm relaxes and moves back up to a flat position again.
In a natural breath, the stomach should follow what the diaphragm does. When you suck in air, your diaphragm should contract and move down; and so should your abdomen. When you release the air, the abdomen should come back out to its normal position.
That's normal breathing.

Breathing for exercise, singing, etc. is different. It should be very similar, but there is more than one way to execute vocals.
Here are the ones I can think of right now (that could work):

Breathing in:
1. gut goes out and flexes, chest goes up and out, both exaggerated (so you arch your back)
2. gut goes out and flexes, chest goes up (expands rather)
3. gut goes in, chest expands.

It's an option to not flex your gut when you do those instead of flexing with really sticking your stomach out all the way. An example would be like the gut going in while the upper abdominal area goes out (for the flex). Not flexing is just a little more relaxing.

breathing out:
1. gut stays out, chest relaxes (I don't like this one though because you kind of lean forward....meh)
2. Ahhh, hell you get the idea.....


The option is yours whether you want to do vocals in the same fashion of natural breathing or not. They all work, it's just the question of which one does best for you.

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Dude wtf? Read that post! Its solid advice on breathing....i mean i refer them to it because the post is what it is..actual advice from a music teacher..so whatever.

Edit: Also when your telling them to breath in mentioned how they should feel like expansion in their back, that is the sign of a good deep breath.

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thank you POWERSOFTERROR.

QUOTED BY ME:

"...Here are the ones I can think of right now (that could work):..."

Notice the word "could?" It implies that it may work just fine, but it doesn't imply being the best way. All I did was lay down some options.

For my personal physical body type, when I breathe in without arching the back JUST A LITTLE my head will lean forward. No, not literally, but the chest expands and if your head doesn't move your chest gets closer to your head. That should be obvious. If you arch your back, or lean back a little....JUST A LITTLE...your head won't lift (which is bad aural technique), but your head will keep far enough away from your chest that your neck won't flex so much.

It's a stretched arc. Two points on either side of the arch are streched apart. Straighten the hypothetical line out and the line becomes shorter, therefore the points are closer.
It's just an option. Try it, but I'm not saying a very good deep inhalation means bending backwards.

Think of it like.....taking a deep breath straightens your back and keeps you from slouching. Leaning back doesn't necessarily mean to arc your back.

I know I'm being confusing, but it's late and I'm too tired to really think about what I'm writing...heh may have even contradicted myself.....

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